Relax! 10 Minutes a Day Keeps Blood Pressure At Bay

The science is clear: chronic stress is a leading cause of high blood pressure and is highly damaging to the body. Yes, stress will always be a part of daily life. But when excessive stress over an extended period of time is combined with poor coping strategies, it can lead to disease and even death if left unchecked. For example, multiple large-scale studies have shown that individuals who report high levels of mental stress have nearly twice the risk of fatal strokes than those with low stress levels.

Research is just beginning to unlock the complex relationship between chronic stress and the development of high blood pressure and other cardiovascular diseases, but the good news is that practicing simple relaxation strategies can calm your physiology, de-stress your mind and quickly reverse your “fight or flight” response to prevent the deleterious effects of chronic stress on your arteries. Read on and learn how easy it is to put a damper on your stress response—a simple and effective first line of defence against the silent killer hypertension.

Try daily relaxation therapy—the antidote to the stress response. Practicing relaxation techniques has been shown to tame the sympathetic nervous system and lead to a reduction in blood pressure. Relaxation lifestyle treatments fall under four general categories:

Try guided imagery. Guided imagery involves tapping into happy memories and using the mind to create visual scenes of peaceful places where you concentrate on the scene to make it seem as if you are really there. (See the Appendix for a quick series of simple directions for practicing guided imagery.)

Listen to calming music. Peaceful music can impact the subconscious, slowing brain waves and leading to relaxed states.

Try relaxation breathing. Try closing your eyes and focusing solely on your breath. Breathe very deeply and aim to gradually slow down to 6 cycles per minute. (Normal breathing is about 12 breaths per minute.) Perform these breathing exercises for just 10 minutes a day as deep breathing exercises can effectively alter the activity of the nervous system, lowering your heart rate and blood pressure.

It’s springtime—time to enjoy this warm, lush and fresh season of rebirth. Take just ten minutes a day to relax, de-stress and enjoy life. This simple task can become a daily treat that will enable you to enjoy a more peaceful existence.

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Coconut water is the new Muscle Milk. No, it's not the same thing as the saturated-fat-laden coconut milk derived from the meat of the coconut but is instead the thin, watery stuff that drains out when you break a young, green coconut open. One cup of the water contains a mere 46 calories but is chock-full of electrolytes and minerals such as potassium, magnesium, and vitamin C, plus it's got less than 0.5 grams of fat and provides a nice source of fiber.